CBD Drinks Instead of Alcohol: A Practical Guide
Almost half of UK adults are now choosing no and low-alcohol drinks to moderate their drinking, up from less than a third in 2018. That's from Drinkaware's 2025 Monitor, the largest annual representative survey of UK drinking habits. This isn't a niche lifestyle choice any more. It's mainstream.
The question they're all asking is: what do I drink instead? Low-alcohol lagers. Fancy tonics. Sparkling water with a lime wedge. They're fine, but none of them really hit the same spot as a proper drink. Not the relaxation, not the sense of occasion, not the ability to switch off socially.
CBD drinks do something the others don't. Here's what makes them worth trying.
What You're Actually Looking For When You Drink
Most people aren't reaching for a drink because they love the taste of fermented grain. They want to unwind, feel social, take the edge off the working week, and be present in a conversation without their head still half in the office.
Those are completely legitimate needs. They just don't require alcohol to meet them. That's where INTUNE comes in.
CBD works with your body's endocannabinoid system to support calm, balance and mental clarity. The social ease people associate with a first glass of wine. The ability to settle into a conversation. The feeling of being present rather than preoccupied. INTUNE delivers a version of that experience without the impairment, the calories or the morning after.
The Honest Comparison: CBD Drinks vs Alcohol
We get asked this a lot, so here it is, side by side.
On the night: Alcohol produces a feeling of relaxation through central nervous system depression, which sounds clinical but basically means it slows your brain down. That relaxation comes with impairment. Reaction time, judgement, coordination, memory. CBD produces calm without impairment. You stay sharp. Your wit stays intact. You can still drive home.
The next morning: No hangover. That's it. No dehydration headache, no anxiety spike, no lying in bed replaying conversations from the night before. You wake up and you're fine.
Health: Alcohol is a group one carcinogen. Regular consumption is linked to liver disease, cardiovascular issues, disrupted sleep and increased anxiety over time. CBD, at the lifestyle doses in INTUNE's 10mg cans, has no established negative health effects. The World Health Organisation has noted that CBD is generally well tolerated.
Social acceptability: The no-alcohol movement has shifted things significantly. Asking for a soft drink at a work event no longer raises eyebrows. CBD drinks go a step further. They're interesting, they look great in your hand and they give you something to talk about.
Cost: A mixed pack of INTUNE starts at £24. Comparable to a round of drinks at a London bar for one person. Over a month of replacing your Friday wine with INTUNE, the savings are real.
Where CBD Drinks Work Best as an Alcohol Alternative
Work events and networking: The functional benefit here is significant. You want to be relaxed and sociable, not tightly wound, but you also cannot afford to be impaired. CBD supports exactly that state.
Pubs and bars: More UK venues stock CBD drinks than ever. We're served in bars and at festivals across the country, and ordering one feels completely normal now. Carrying a few in your bag for venues that don't stock us yet is a perfectly reasonable approach.
Dinner parties: The ritual of opening something at the table matters. INTUNE in a glass over ice, with a slice of grapefruit, looks every bit as considered as a glass of natural wine. We've seen it go down very well at dinner parties.
Friday night decompression: The moment on a Friday when you open a drink and your week officially ends. INTUNE can be that drink. The ritual is the same. The impairment is absent.
What CBD Drinks Won't Do
This bit matters. CBD drinks won't get you drunk. If you've been drinking for years as a way to manage anxiety, depression or other mental health challenges, CBD is not a clinical replacement for those needs. It supports wellbeing, but it's a functional drink, not a treatment.
If you're concerned about alcohol dependence or using alcohol to cope, please speak with your GP. This article is for people who are simply choosing to drink less, not for those managing a dependency.
For the vast majority of sober-curious drinkers who just want something better to hold at a party, CBD drinks are a genuinely compelling option.
Current UK CBD Guidance
Each INTUNE can contains 10mg CBD. The FSA currently advises healthy adults to limit CBD from food and drink to 10mg per day. Have no more than one INTUNE can per day and do not combine it with other CBD food, drink or supplements.
CBD is not recommended for children, people taking medication, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or those trying to conceive. Speak to a healthcare professional if you are unsure whether CBD is suitable for you.
Ready to Switch Up Your Social Drinking?
Start with the INTUNE mixed case. Three flavours. Twelve cans. Enough to work out which one becomes your Friday night drink of choice.
The Pomegranate and Ginger is the one people reach for when they want something with a bit of edge. The Elderflower and Hops is the session can. The Grapefruit and Mint is the late-night one. We're not sure we could pick a favourite.
Give it a fortnight. We reckon you'll keep going.
Shop INTUNE Mixed Case | CBD and Alcohol | Can You Drink CBD Every Day?
For a direct category comparison, read CBD drinks vs 0% alcohol drinks. If you are planning a month-long break, see our Dry January drinks guide.